The First Word: Repeat

On this day – the House will, again, take up legislation on sonograms; a Republican senator says the state should consider tax increases, drawing a predictably harsh response from the usual suspects; a hearing over sanctuary cities becomes contentious; spending cuts could leave the state with a prison bed shortage; Gov. Perry has problems with geography and Twitter; and a second word from the first word

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*Return to Sender*

After a point of order brought the House to a halt for more than an hour — Rep. Sid Miller agreed to return his bill to committee, where it was voted out again by a margin of 9-4. That vote allows the sonogram bill to return to the full House today, where there will inevitably be countless number of procedural objections launched and amendments filed by Democrats, in a bid to slow down the bill’s inevitable passage. This bill would then have to be reconciled with the Senate’s less stringent measure and then would have to, again, pass both Houses.

Standing at the front mike on the House floor, Alvarado reached into a plastic grocery bag and pulled out the long, white-plastic device and then proceeded to describe in clinical detail how it’s used in the trans-vaginal sonogram procedure that she maintained Miller’s bill would require.

“This is not the jelly-on-the-belly that most of you think,” she said, introducing an amendment that would explain what the sonogram entails. “This is government intrusion at its best. We’ve reached an all-time high, the climax of government intrusion.”

Alvarado informed her colleagues that during the procedure the device was covered with a condom and gel “and is then inserted into the vagina. The probe sends out ultra-sound waves, which are used to project an image of the uterus and its contents onto a computer screen. And the health provider will move the probe within the area to view the pelvic organs. . . . A woman who has been a victim of rape or incest would undergo the penetration of this trans-vaginal probe, this very intrusive process. HB 15 provides no exemptions for victims of rape or incest. They would be forced to undergo this very, very intrusive procedure.”

Passage of the bill would give Gov. Perry and social conservatives yet another victory as the legislative session grinds on.

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*Read My Lips: Some New Taxes*

As the debate over the budget continues to intensive, the unstoppable force of Texans upset about programs they like getting whacked by the budget axe is meeting the immovable object of politicians and activists who are ideologically opposed to any and all tax increases. Polling released by the Texas Tribune shows that Texans want to cut spending to balance the budget, they just don’t want to cut the programs that account for more than 90 percent of state spending – public education, higher education, health and human services (healthcare for the poor), and criminal justice (prisons and courts).

Sen. Bob Deull told the Texas Tribune’s Ross Ramsey that he would favor increasing taxes to stave off some of the worst budget cuts. He said it’s a conservative position to hold because the long-term costs of these cuts far outweigh the short-term savings that would be provided to the budget. Sen. Eddie Rodriguez has introduced a bill that would add an additional tax to soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi; supporters say such a tax would help plug the budget hole and could discourage consumption of products that have been linked to diabetes and other health conditions.

The reaction from the conservative activists at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility to Deull’s proposal was fierce, if not predictable. Michael Quinn Sullivan was tweeting up a storm and Andrew Kerr slammed Duell’s proposal in a blog post:

State Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville), who sits on the influential Senate Finance Committee added his name to the short list of irresponsible Republican legislators advocating spending “most” of the state’s Rainy Day Fund to balance the budget.

As if that weren’t bad enough, he took economic irresponsibility a step further by suggesting the state must raise taxes to boot.

Not only did Sen. Deuell take a decidedly anti-taxpayer position while arguing for increased taxes and the spending of the state’s Rainy Day Fund, but he apparently went on to call it a “conservative” one as well. Traditionally, the phrase “tax-and-spend” most often appears before the words “liberal” or “Democrat.” Apparently Sen. Deuell would like to see that phrase applied to Republicans, as well.

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*Another Emergency Item*

A House committee hearing on proposed legislation that would ban ‘sanctuary cities’ in Texas became contentious at points, late Thursday afternoon. Among the notables who testified, Austin Police Chief Art Acevado; the AP’s Jay Root reports:

The bill is a far cry from some of the harsh crackdowns some lawmakers proposed, but it still sparked often emotional testimony in a House committee Wednesday night. Dozens of supporters and detractors packed a hearing room outside the Texas Capitol, eager for a chance to air their views despite the late hour.

Supporters generally said the legislation would help police identify illegal immigrants who commit crimes in Texas. Critics said it would lead to racial profiling, detract from real police work and give license to rogue agents who want to harass immigrants.

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*Geography and Twitterography*

Just a day after Gov. Rick Perry said that Juarez was the most violent city in America, it was revealed (in the continuing saga known as #followgate) that the Chronicle’s own DC Bureau Chief Richard Dunham was also blocked by Rick Perry. Reporters and columnists blocked by Perry so far include the Star-Telegram’s Bud Kennedy and the Morning News’ Tom Jennings.

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*Apologies for Yesterday*

There wasn’t a First Word yesterday because I had a Spanish test. Thanks for your patience and understanding and for reading.

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*Notable Things on the Sked*

– Comptroller Susan Combs will testify before the House Appropriations Committee at 8 a.m.